Glowing Oil: Gulf Spill Under Ultraviolet Light

Glowing Oil: Gulf Spill Under Ultraviolet Light

Ultraviolet light could help scientists and cleanup crews detect oil in the aftermath of the BP spill. That's what National Geographic photographer Chris Combs learned while in the Gulf of Mexico. UV light, which is used to find blood at crime scenes, could help scientists find oil too difficult to see with the human eye. In this photo from Gulf Islands National Seashore, tar appears orange-yellow, while clean sand glows purple in a long-exposure picture. The full photo essay is at NationalGeographic.com.

Glowing Oil: Gulf Spill Under Ultraviolet Light

Ultraviolet light could help scientists and cleanup crews detect oil in the aftermath of the BP spill. That's what National Geographic photographer Chris Combs learned while in the Gulf of Mexico. UV light, which is used to find blood at crime scenes, could help scientists find oil too difficult to see with the human eye. In this photo from Gulf Islands National Seashore, tar appears orange-yellow, while clean sand glows purple in a long-exposure picture. The full photo essay is at <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/07/photogalleries/100708-environment-science-gulf-oil-spill-glowing-ultraviolet-pictures/#gulf-oil-spill-ultraviolet-light-glowing-ghost-crab_23066_600x450.jpg" target="external">NationalGeographic.com</a>.